Latching mechanism.



W. D. MARTIN H. SCHRIK.

LATCHING MECHANISM.

AFPLlcmoN man lune 9. |911.

19258, 1 32. I Patented Mm. 5,1918.

J/ggig, Y lfol UNITED s prua n l FFI.

LATCHING MECHANISIVL Application led .Tune 9, 1917.

To all 'whom t may Concern.'

Be it known that we, WILLIAM D. MAR- TIN and I-IENRY SCHRIII, both citizens of the United States, and residents of Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Latching Mechanism, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to locking mechanism more particularly designed for use in connection with outside doors of ice-intake openings of dwelling houses and apartments.

Among the objects of our invention is to improve the construction of a locking mechanism of the kind referred to, in the several particulars as will hereinafter more fully appear, and to provide in particular a locking mechanism which may be unlocked from the inside of the house or apartment so as to avoid the necessity of the occupant thereof going on the outside thereof for the purpose of unlocking the outer door of the ice-intake opening when delivery of ice is to be received. A further object of our invention is to so construct the parts of'our locking device that the outside door will be automatically locked when closed and thereby avoid the necessity of the occupant of the house or apartment going on the outside thereof in order to lock the outside door after the delivery of ice has been received or to remain about the house for that purpose.

A further object of our invention is to produce a locking mechanism of the kind referred to which will be simple, compact, and inexpensive in construction. and convenient in operation, and may be applied in any iceintake opening.

The invention consists further in the matters hereinafter described and more particularly pointed out in the appended claims.

In the accompanying drawing"- Figure 1 is a vertical sectional view taken through an ice-intake opening in a building wall, and showing the outer door for closing the opening on the outside of said wall, and an ice-box or refrigerator located at the inner end of said opening; there being also shown, for locking the outer door closed, a locking mechanism constructed in accordance with Our invention;

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 2-2 of Fig. l, the ice-box being shown in elevation;

Fig. 3 is a vertical sectional view taken on Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Mar. 5, 1918.

Serial No. 173,718.

line 3 3 of Fig. 2, and showing the parts of our improved locking mechanism in their locking positions;

Fig. 4 is a view of the same parts as shown in Fig. 3, except that the resetting member is shown in the position it occupies when holding the locking end of the latch member out of locking engagement with the keeper;

Fig. 5 is a view showing a portion of the outer door broken away and illustrating the locking mechanism tlierebehind;

Fig. 6 is a perspective view ofthe locking end of the latch member; and

Fig. 7 is a perspective view of the swinging end of the lower arm of the resetting member.

In the accompanying drawings, there is shown in detail a locking mechanism constructed in accordance with our invention, and as being applied to the outer door of an ice-intake opening of a dwelling house or apartment. As illustrated, 10 indicates the outside wall of the pantry or kitchen of the house or apartment, and 11 the ice-box or refrigerator located therein. Said wall l0 is provided with a rectangular hole or opening 12 extending transversely therethrough and constitutingI the ice-intake opening in said wall. Said hole 12 opens at its inner end into a recess or niche 18 provided in the inner face of said wall and in which niche the ice-box 11 is placed with its rear or back wall eXter-.ding over and completely closing the inner end of said iceintake opening l2, as shown in Fig. 2. Said ice-box ll is provided in its rear wall with an ice-receiving opening closed by a door 13, which is hinged along one of its side or vertical edges to the ice-box by hinges (not shown), so that said door in being opened swings outward and into the wall opening 12. The outer end of the wall opening 12 is closed by a door 14e, which is hinged along one of its side or vertical edges in such manner as to be swung outward from the wall 10 in being opened. Said door 14 constitutes the outer door of the ice-intake opening 12, and is provided on the outside thereof and adjacent the side edge opposite the hinge means with a handle 15 adapted to be grasped in the opening and closing of said door. For supporting the door 14 in the opening 12, we provide a substantially rectangular metal door frame 16, located at the outer end of said wall opening. Said door frame 16 is provided with an inwardly extending, integral flange 1T projecting into the wall opening 12 and completely surrounding the same and bearing flatwise against the top, bottom, and side faces of said wall opening. Said door frame 16 is also provided with on outer marginal flange 18 completely surroundingthe same and eX- tending over the outer edges of the wall opening, as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. As shown, said door frame 16 bears against the outer face of the wall 10 about the ice-intake opening 12, and imparts the necessary finish thereto. Said door 11i is hinged to said frame 16 by a hinge rod 19 extending across the inner face of the door adjacent one of the side edges thereof and being secured to said dooil by clamp straps 20. The ends of said linge rod project above and below the top and bottom edges of said door and are received vin 'sockets (not shown) in the corresponding portions et the flange 16. Said door frame and hinge means are made as shown in Patent No. 1,224,766, granted May The locking mechanism constituting the subject-matter of our present invention is constructed and applied to the outer door 14 in the following manner: Applied against the rear fece of the outer door 14 is a latch casing 21. Said latch casing 21 is located intermediate the upper and lower edges of said door and adjacent the non-hinged or swinging side edge thereof, Said casing is provieed with upper and lower flanges 22, 23 having holes 24, through which extend fastenirg screws or rivets 25 for securing said casing against said door. Said casing 21 is provided in its inner 'face and between its upper and lower flanges with a longitudinelly extending groove 26, which opens through the ends of said casing and when anplied against the door lll is closed along he open side tl ereby. Located in said groove 26 is latch member 2T. one end of' which uroieets beyond one end of said casing through the open end of Asaid groove. The opposite end of said latch member 27 terininates at the other end of said groove, and is secured to said casing 21 by a pivot pin 23. As shown in 5, the upper wall of said greoi'e 26 is made straight, that is. parallel to the top and bottom edges of the flarges 22, 2", while the bottom wall of said groove is inclined downwardly from the pirotod ond of the latch member. Thus the width of the groove 26 at the pivoted end of the latch member 27 is less than the width of the groove at the opposite end of the latch member` thereby permitting the outer or free end of Said latch member 27 to be raised and lowered for engagement with a keeper 2f). to be presently described. rl`he swinging or outer end of said latch member 27 is provided with a lockinghead 30 arranged at substantially right-angles thereto and projecting inwardly fromthe rear face of said outer door 14;, when the parts are applied thereto, as shown in Fig. 3. The upper wall of the groove 26 constitutes, in effect, a stop-member for preventing the` latch member 2T from being raised or swung upward too far to permit the latch member to drop by gravity or its own weight against the lower edgeof said groove, while the latter acts as a stop-member preventing the latch member 27 from dropping belo i a position preventing the locking head of the latch member from engaging the keeper, when the outer door is swung closed.

rhe keeper 29 is located in the wall opening 12, and is secured to the side face thereof adjacentthe swinging side edge otI the outer door 15;. As shown, said keeper has the form of a casing having upper and lower flanges 31, 32, through which extend rivets or fastening screws 33, 33 tor securing said easing in the wall opening. 1n the instance shown, the keeper is secured to the inwardly extending flange 17 of the door frame 16. Said keeper casing is provided with a chamber 3aelosed along its open side by the flange 17, when the keeper is secured thereto. The end of the chamber away from the door 14 is closed by an end wall 35, as shown in Figs. 3 and 1l. rl`he opposite end of the chamber is open so as to receive therei the locking head 30 of the latch member 27. rifhe ,open end of said chamber 3l is provided with an upright flange 36, with which the locking head 30 is adapted to be engaged for locking the outer door lil closed. As shown in Figs. 3, Lt, and 6. the locking head 30 is provided with a locking shoulder 37, which engages behind the flange 36, when the outer door is locked closed by the latch member 27. rThe lower edge .of the locking head 30 and the upper edge of the flange 36 are both inclined or beveled in the proper directions, so that the locking head will readily ride over and drop behind the flange 36 when the door is swungclosed. As is apparent, when the door 11i is open, the latch member 27 rests against the lower' edge of the slot 26, and its locking head 30 is in position to engage with and ride over the upper edge of the flange 36 when the door is swung` into its closed position. In riding over the flange 36, the locking end of the latch member is raised or swung upward, as is aarent, and, as soon as the edge of the flange 36 is cleared. drops by gravity behind the flange and is retained by its own weight in such position, thereby locking the door 14 closed.

in order to unlock the'latch member 2T from the 'nside of the heuse or, in short, freni the ice-box side of said wall 10, we provide a resetting member 36, which, as

shown. is located in the chamber 3a and is of the bell-crank lever type. Said lever 38 is mounted in said chamber on a pivot pin 3S, and the loiver arm Ll() el sait lever is the longer arm thereotA and has its ing tree or svvingend fn position to be ra` 'ed upivard the locking head flocked With the "il he short arm il or' said lever extends upward and has Y secured thereto one end of a pull rod or latter extending through a hole ral .le d2, tue or peut in the end vvall 35 oi the eenu F' 3 and Ll.

ig, as shovfn in i ias.

Said cab-re ex' ds to the `tront side ot the ice-bex ll, and

is proridcd at such end vvith ece or handle 4%, vwhich may be "-n operating the lever 3S for unateh im en the lever arm il@ l VLLe or swinging end ath the locking head and ont ci locking engagement rlfhererpon the outer l and mav he swung oper.

u arranged [iat shoulder or f, as best sh-oivn in Fig. 6. The O'ng end of the lever arm d0 is w an upwardly opening groove Le bottom vall i8 of ivhicn is inclined .oa'nivardly toward the openend ot said ove. llhen the lever arm is raised or n d, the projection or nose d5 is groove il?, and the bottom vv al ther ming into contact with the inc e of the locking head acts to raise or su' the lockirg end it the latf award and out of locking engageme. `i the flange 3S. rhe end 'faces of the lever arm il@ on each side ve il? are inane fiat, and are Y r ativife against the shoulien such parts are brought in" e engagement, the swinging end ot i arm D ears at substantially ri i ie shoulders d6, flG, a latch member 27 on es to maintain such and holds the latch e outer door lst reon as said door is sivung iead 30 is l With rien o., Mme;

ls shovrn in Fig. 8. again closed, the locking end 8O or .tclL member 2T rides over and becfmcs locker` with the flange 36, thereby locking' the door cl d. rlhis opention is automatic. lo re the latch so Lt theV door may e o ened, the cable is pulled, and the lever 3 operates to ose set raise and hold the locking end 30 of the latch out of locking engagement With 'the keeper 29.

With our locking mechanism installed, the many advantages incident thereto are apparent. rlhe outer door of the ice-intake opening may be unlocked from the inside' of the house, thereby avoiding the necessity of the occupant of the house goino on the outside thereotn in order to unlock said outer door, when a delivery of ice is about to be received. Then again, after unlocking the cuter door, the occupant oit the house may leave the same With the assurance that the outer door Will be automatically locked When closed after the ice delivery has been received and placed inthe ice-box. rlhen again. all of the locking mechanism is located behind the door and concealed from vieiv thereby, thus having the effect of a secret lock. Furthermore, the operative parts 'of our lock are housed Within casings, thereby preventing the lock from being picked or otherwise tampered With from the outside ot. the door, when the latter is closed and locked. Moreover, the parts are simple in construction and arrangement and devoid of any sensitive parts such as springs and the like. Then again, the lock a unit is crmplete in itself, and may be readily and easily applied to any ice-intake opening. While .ve have shown a door frame for the outer door, yet it is to be of course understood that such showing has been made more with the idea of' illustrating our invention than conlining the same to the particular type ot' door trame and door shown, as it is manifest that our locking device may be applied to any ice-intake opening Whether having a door and door 'trame as herein described or not.

rllo prevent the outer door la from being blown or accidentally arred open While the latch member Q7 is held in its unlocking p0- sition by the resetting lever 38, the keeper flange 36 is provided at its upper edge with an inwardly facing, rounded shoulder 4:7, ivith which the lower rounded edge of the locking heat 30 trictionally engages. Thus, the locking head 80, although in unlocking position, .till engages the keeper and serves to hold the outerV door from being vblown open by the Wind or being accidentally jarred open. Consequently, a suticient outward pull on the door la is required to open the same.

-Furthermore, it is to be of course understood that the details of construction and arrangement of parts illustrated may be variously changed and modilied Without departing from the spirit and scope of our invention, and that We do not Wish to be limted to the details or" construction and arrangement of parts shown, except as pointed out in the appended claims.

lOl)

We claim as our invention:

1. In combination, a door, a keeper, a latch member mounted on said door and adapted to have locking engagement with said keeper for locking said door closed, a resetting member adapted when moved in one direction to engage said latch member and move and hold the same out of locking engagement with said keeper while said door remains closed, and said resetting member moving, upon the opening of said door, into a position permitting said latch member to move into locking engagement with said keeper when the door is again closed, and means for operating said resetting member.

2. In combination, a door, a keeper, a latch member pivotally mounted on said door and adapted to have locking engagement with said keeper for locking said door closed, a resetting member pivotally mounted on said keeper and adapted when moved in one direction to engage said latch member and move and hold the same out of locking engagement with said keeper while said door remains closed, and said resetting member moving, upon the opening of said door, into a position permitting said latch member to move into locking engagement with said keeper when said door is again closed, and means for operating said resetting member.

3. In combination, a door, a keeper, a latch member pivotally mounted on said door and adapted to move by its own weight into locking engagement with said keeper for locking said door closed, a resetting member pivotally mounted on said keeper and adapted when moved in one direction to engage said latch member andmove and hold the same out of locking engagement with said keeper while said door remains closed, and said resetting member, upon the opening of said door, moving by its own weight into a position permitting said latch member to move into locking engagement with said keeper when the door is again closed, and means for operating said resetvting member.

4. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a keeper, a movably mounted latch member adapted to have locking engagement with said keeper, a movably mounted resetting member adapted when moved in one direction to engage said latch member and move the same out of locking engagement with said keeper, said latch member when engaged with said resetting member exerting a pressure on the latter in such a direction that the resetting member will be maintained in a position holding said latch member out ot locking engagement with said keeper, and means for moving said resetting member into engagement with said latchmember.

I 5. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a keeper, a pivotally tion holding the latch member out of locking engagement with said keeper, and means for moving said resetting member into engagement with said latch member.

6. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a keeper, a pivotalli.T mounted latch member adapted to have locking engagement with said keeper, a bellcrank lever pivotally mounted on said keeper and having an arm adapted to be moved into engagement with said latch member and move the same out of locking engagement with said keeper, said latch member when engaged with said arm exerting a pressure thereon in such a direction that said arm will be maintained in a position holding said latch member out of locking engagement with said keeper, and means for moving said lever into engagement with said latch member.

7. A locking device of the character' described, comprising a keeper, a latch member, an arm pivotally mounted at one end and having its other end in position to engage the locking end of said latch member, and means for operating said arm so that the swinging end thereof will engage the locking end of said latch member and move the same out of locking engagement with said keeper; the locking end of said latch member and the swinging end of said arm being provided with at parts adapted, when engaged, to permit the weight ofsaid latch member to be so exerted on said arm that the latter will be held raised and serve to hold the latch member out of locking engagement with said keeper.

8. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a keeper, a latch member having a locking head adapted to have locking engagement with said keeper, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted on said keeper, one arm of said lever having its swinging end in position to engage said locking head and move the same out of locking engagement with said keeper, and means for operating said lever, said locking head being provided with a projection and having fiat shoulders on each side thereof; the swinging end of said arm being provided with a groove adapted to receive said projection, and the end of said arm being provided with fiat faces adapted to engage said shoulders.

9. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a keeper, a latch casing having a groove therein and opening endwise through one end of said casing, a latch member pivotally mounted in said groove and having its locking end projecting outwardly through the open en d thereof, a resetting member mounted on said keeper and adapted, when operated, to move and hold the locking end of said latch member out of locking engagement with said keeper, and a pull cable :t'or operating said resetting member.

10. A locking mechanism of the character described, comprising a. keeper casing having a chamber therein, a latch member having a. locking head adapted to enter said chamber and have locking engagement with one of the Walls thereof, a bell-crank lever pivotally mounted in said chamber and having an arm adapted to engage said locking head and move and hold the same out of locking engagement with said keeper casing, and a pull cable extending through one Gopiel ot this patent may be obtained for closed, a. resetting member mounted on the keeper and adapted when operated to move and hold the latch member out of locking engagement With said keeper, means for operating said resetting member, and said latch member and said keeper being provided With parts adapted to frictionally engage vvhile the latch member is held in its unlocking position, so to prevent the door from being blown or accidentally jarred open.

In testimony that We claim the foregoing as our invention, We aii'iX our signatures in the presence of two Witnesses, this 29th day of May, A. D. 1917.

WILLIAM D. MARTIN. HENRY SCHRIK.

l/Vitnesses:

EUGENE C. WANN, CLARA L. PEorLEs.

ve cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. C. 

